Current Affairs Quiz – December 2025

Notes:
Researchers found a nearly intact ancient pottery vessel near Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, dating back over 10,000 years. It is Japan’s largest freshwater lake on Honshu, about 64 kilometres long and 672 square kilometres in area. The lake looks like a biwa musical instrument and is over four million years old. It is fed by mountain rivers and drains into Osaka Bay through the Yodo River. It supports fish, pearl culture, water supply, textile industries, and was listed under the Ramsar Convention in 1993.

Notes:
India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu, a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission, to support Sri Lanka after Cyclone Ditwah caused floods, landslides, and widespread disruption. Cyclone made landfall on 27 November 2025, causing fatalities and affecting thousands. Indian Air Force (IAF) delivered approx 12 tonnes of aid on 29 November 2025, including tents, tarpaulins, blankets, hygiene kits, and ready-to-eat food to Colombo. The operation provides food, essentials, and logistical support to manage immediate crises in Sri Lanka.

Notes:
Scottish historian William Dalrymple urged the Maharashtra government to promote lesser-known heritage sites at Ellora Caves. Ellora is located near a village in Maharashtra. Ellora is among India’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The caves show 700 years of Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Sufi, and Naga traditions.

Notes:
As of now, 28 State and Union Territory (UT) Legislatures have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) implementation. 20 Legislatures are now fully digital using the NeVA platform. NeVA is a Mission Mode Project under the Digital India Programme to digitalise all 37 State/UT Legislatures. It includes backend computerisation, capacity building, and NeVA SeVA Kendras (NSKs) for member support. It follows “One Nation – One Application” with a single common platform. Fund support is provided for digitalisation of old records.

Notes:
The Ministry of Tourism of India launched the Incredible India 2.0 campaign with a shift from general promotion to thematic tourism in major global markets. The campaign aims to attract more international tourists to India through focused promotion. India is promoted as a holistic tourism destination with stress on sustainability and responsible tourism. Special promotion is given to Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism. Promotion is done through social media, official websites, fairs, and exhibitions.

Notes:
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) publishes The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture (SOLAW) 2025 every two years. SOLAW 2025 highlights the untapped potential of land, soil, and water to improve sustainable agricultural production, food security, ecosystem services, and resilience. By 2050, agriculture must produce 50% more food, feed, and fibre compared to 2012 and use 25% more freshwater, while expanding farmland is no longer feasible. More than 60% of human-induced land degradation occurs on agricultural lands. Agriculture accounts for more than 70% of global freshwater withdrawal. Intensive farming and excessive chemical use cause pollution and depletion of soil, land, and water resources.

Notes:
A Rainbow Water Snake (Enhydris enhydris) was photographed for the first time in Uttar Pradesh in the buffer of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), proving the area’s rich ecology. The 35 cm snake was slightly inactive due to ecdysis (skin shedding) and was safely released after minimal handling and measurement. The sighting highlights Terai ecosystem diversity; six new species have been reported from Uttar Pradesh in the past two years. Dudhwa Tiger Reserve is located on the Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur-Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh.

Notes:
Researchers at National Centre for Radio Astrophysics – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (NCRA–TIFR), Pune, discovered a new spiral galaxy named Alaknanda. It lies 12 billion light years away and shows a perfect spiral structure. The name comes from the Alaknanda River and the Hindi word for the Milky Way. The galaxy spans 30,000 light years, with two clear spiral arms around a bright central bulge. It forms stars rapidly, producing 60 solar masses per year. It resembles a young Milky Way, formed when our galaxy was only 10% of its current age. The discovery was made using National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).

Notes:
World Soil Day is observed annually on 5 December to highlight the importance of healthy soil for food security, ecosystems, and human well-being. The theme for World Soil Day 2025 is “Healthy Soils for Healthy Cities”, focusing on the role of urban soils. Urban soils face pressures from rapid urbanisation, soil sealing, pollution, and loss of organic matter. Healthy soils in cities support food production, water purification, carbon storage, temperature regulation, and biodiversity conservation. Preserving soil health is essential for climate resilience, urban planning, and sustainable development.

Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently handed over seven defence technologies to the armed forces under the Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme. The Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme was created to promote self-reliance in defence technology under the “Make in India” initiative. The scheme encourages participation of public and private industries, especially Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and startups. It aims to build a strong ecosystem for developing advanced and cutting-edge defence technologies in India. The scheme provides funding support for projects with costs up to ₹50 crore.